Memory
by Nijino Aya
Summary: Fujimiya Aya is missing. He leaves Ken and the others behind. And why can't anyone remember what happened? Light yaoi warning
1. Prolouge

Title: Memory  
Author: Nijino Aya

Email: kakashuno @ yahoo.com [without spaces]  
Pairings: So far, Ken X Aya. More to come.

Rating: PG – 13

Warnings: Series up to death of Schreient, Aya's real name  
  
Prologue  
  
            It had been six weeks since Ken had seen him. His hair, his eyes, his skin. Ken missed it all. He longed to be with him once more. The cause, it was still blurry. _What happened?_ He thought.  
            Ken walked down the street, looking though his rain-soaked bangs at the sign ahead of him. _This is where our new lives began. At this place._  
        It was a nightclub, one of the many places that housed a target Weiß once had. Only that mission had been different. The club was designed to look like a warehouse. During a mission to eliminate a weapons smuggling ring, the ceiling beam had fallen. Ah, yes, that beam. It had fallen right after they terminated the target. Probably rigged.  
        Part of the ceiling had fallen, separating the four assassins by a wall of ceiling chunks and debris. Youji and Omi were both on one side; the side by the door, and Ken and Aya were covered, trapped in a pocket, which was only large enough for two to lie on the floor.  
        Ken couldn't hear any voices on the other side, and Aya had probably been hit in the head, because he had passed out. Ken was scared, and moved closer to Aya, lightly laying his head on his slowly breathing chest. He almost screamed when he felt warm arms wrap around his shoulders.  
           Ken looked up at Aya, who was still coming into consciousness. _Probably a natural reaction. He couldn't have possibly been holding me out of anything more than that._  
        Ken attempted to move his head off the redhead's chest, but froze when he realized that Aya was fully conscious, and holding him down.  
         "It's ok, Ken," Aya whispered, and pulled Ken closer, a bit frightened himself.  
  
        _That was the day our relationship started..._Ken thought, his thoughts coming back to the present. But what he didn't understand was what happened six weeks ago, when, during a normal mission, something happened, something unclear. Ken's memory was blurred, and he couldn't remember all of that evening.  
        It felt like a mind rape, like Schuldig's favorite past time. Only Ken knew that it wasn't his doing, because it didn't leave the "Schu was here" signature that the German so loved to do. It was something more powerful, something inhuman.  
        And Ken was to find out what that "something" was, and to find Aya.  
  
 ---------  
  
   
           I didn't remember much about the night Aya disappeared. It was only a few days after the downfall of that female group, Schreient. Everything was normal, everyone was doing fine, especially Omi, who seemed to be at his happiest, and Ouka-san used to think he had a girlfriend. 

But I did remember one thing about that night in particular. I could feel it, a strange presence at the house where they were supposed to collect data from a computer that a drug dealer had. It was some useless info on a new drug that was being produced.  
            Omi was to do the data stealing, while the other three of us were to stand watch and finish off anyone who saw us. As expected, Schwarz showed up, and while the kid was off trying to get the data for SZ, we were left with the other three.  
            We were about to beat them (yeah, what a shock, huh...) when we heard a piercing scream from inside the house, and then another one following it. It was Omi, and the Schwarz kid Nagi who screamed. Immediately, Schwarz and Weiß stopped the fight, and all six of us ran in the house. I was a bit surprised to see that they cared about their teammate. I always thought of them as being heartless.  
        When we got to the source of the screams, we were not ready for what we saw. Omi and Nagi were screaming, on their knees, holding their heads in pain. Blood was slowly trickling out of their ears. The minute I put one foot in the door, a wave of nausea hit me, and I jerked back out of the room.  
            Schuldig knew that it was some kind of psychic attack, or some kind of supernatural force attacking their minds. He put his hands to his head, and looked like he was in deep concentration. He ran into the room, and attempted to pull Nagi out of the room. I found out later that he tried to create a wall to block our whatever was in the room. But, he failed, and soon sank to his knees, struggling under the attack.  
        I didn't know what to do. I turned to Aya when I felt his hand squeeze mine, a distant look in his eyes. "No... Aya... don't..."  
        He said something to me. I don't remember what it was. It makes me angry to think that I don't even remember what his last words were. Suddenly, he ran in, grabbed Omi, Nagi, and Schuldig, and literally tossed them out of the room. Schulderich barely made it to the door, because Aya was weakening, and had to be pulled out the doorway by Crawford.  
        Aya had fallen to his knees, trying to fight the attack. Then I saw it. Hands, I think about the six of them. They grabbed him, dragging him into the shadows of the room. I tried to run in and save him, but Youji held me back. "You won't do him any help if you get caught up in that too!!"  
        "I don't care! I have to save him!"  
        I felt something warm and sticky on the sides of my face, and realized it was blood, coming out of my ears. I felt Youji collapse beside me, and that is it.  
         I don't remember anything else. I know I didn't pass out there, because when I woke up early the next morning, I was in my bedroom, in our house above the flower shop. Somehow we had all gotten home, and without Aya. No one remembers how either. We haven't seen Schwarz since then, but I have that sinking feeling that they are still alive.

Aya, where are you?  
  
   
-----------------------------  
  
  


End prologue.


	2. Chasing Aya

Title: Memory  
Author: Nijino Aya

Email: kakashuno @ yahoo.com [without spaces]  
Pairings: So far, Ken X Aya. More to come.

Rating: PG – 13

Warnings: Series up to death of Schreient, Aya's real name   
  
Chapter 1: Chasing Aya  
  
_Ken... Where are you? I'm waiting. Why didn't you save me? I needed your help. I thought you said you loved me?_  
  
        Ken woke up with a start. He was having those persistent nightmares again. _Aya needed my help, and I couldn't save him. Now I don't even know if he's alive or not._  
        Ken slumped out of bed and walked to the kitchen. As cliché as it sounds, it wasn't the same without Aya. Omi had stopped making breakfast for everyone, so Ken had to make his own. Youji had started smoking more often, and hadn't been on a date since.  
        As for Ken, he started sleeping in what used to be Aya's room, until the redhead had moved into Ken's room. He slept in Aya's pajamas, used Aya's shampoo, and even wore his old orange sweater on days that he was home alone.  
            One morning, Ken just didn't feel like waking up. He lay in his bed, Aya's bed, and stared at the ceiling. He rolled over burying his face in the comforter like he did every morning. He didn't know why he put himself through all the pain of memory. But he kept doing it, reminding himself of Aya, but he did.  
        Finally getting restless, he slid off the bed, and sat on the floor. Slowly, he lay down on the floor in between the dresser and the bed, turning his head to one side.  
        _Aya... I miss you. I love you. Where are you?_  
        Ken opened his eyes to look under the bed. There was nothing underneath except a shoebox. Ken reached for it and pulled it out, surprised that it was actually really heavy. It weighed much more than shoes. Ken opened to box.  
        Inside the box were papers of typed data, and a pile of photographs. He looked over the papers first. It was a written report of an experiment. He tried his best to translate the English.

**  
**The human brain is not used to it's full potential. Certain human beings are capable of many things deemed impossible, or unheard of, if helped through technological service. We have found those human brains.  
  
They belong to special individuals. The first are four males under the employment of one of our branches, codename SZ.  
  


_Schwarz! This is info on Schwarz's supernatural powers. But why does Aya have it?_ Ken mentally pondered, and then continued to read.

  
  
Three of these humans are females what worked under an SZ affiliate, Kritinker. They were three of the four women in the group Schreient.

_Oh, my God... But three? Who didn't have powers?_  
_   
  
_

The three members' supernatural powers were also the causes of their fatal encounter with Schwarz. The women were codenamed Hell, Neu, and Schoen. The fourth member, Tot, still lives, but has no powers, and is ignorant of her former teammates' powers, and therefore is no use or danger to us.__

The last person we discovered is a young male, and is uncontactable. He is under the protection of a rival  
company, owned and operated by a man codenamed Persia.  
  
  


_Oh, God, no. Not one of us... not...  
_  
His true name is unknown as of now, but he calls himself...  
  
  


_No! No! No!!!!_  
  
Fujimiya Aya.  
  
  


"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Ken screamed. "This isn't real!!!!"  
  
  


            Ken frantically grabbed at the other paper. It explained how the powers of each person mentioned worked. Schwarz's he already knew. But what sent terror into his soul were Schreient's powers.

            They had not known of their powers. If they had, both Weiß and Schwarz would have been gone. Schreient was destroyed because of their powers.

Neu, New, formerly the detective Asuka Murase, has succubus-related powers. Usually described as Astral Projection, this woman can project her astral being into another human being, creating a type of possession case.

Schoen, Beautiful, Karen Kitaura, has control over another living thing's body makeup. Through concentration, she can perform such changes as to raise the amount of acid in the body, literally making the object boil from the inside, creating a painful death.

Hell, Light, Katsuki Masako, can absorb a life energy from a human. This can cause extreme internal bleeding, and cuts throughout the body. Tendons and ligaments will weaken severely, causing one's limbs to fall off. 

            Ken frantically rummaged through the box to retrieve the photographs. When he looked through them, his heart sank.

Pictures, pictures of Schreient and Schwarz on operating tables, wires were not only connected to their body, but it looked as though they had wires going **into** their brains. Farfarfello's looked particularly bad. He had steel rods inserted into his body.

These didn't look like laboratory photos, but rather spy shots. There was a picture of Tot trying to get past a scientist. Ken recalled from the report that she was unaware of her teammates' powers, so she was probably trying to see that Schwarz kid that she was so interested in.

The table that Farfarfello was on looked like it was straight out of a medieval torture chamber. In some pictures, the person was conscious, in others, they were not. A picture was taken of Nagi held under water in a tank.

The pictures were disturbing, to say the least. Ken showed them to Youji, and then to Omi. They all came to the general conclusion that Aya was the one who took the pictures. Youji spotted a building in the background of one picture, and its address on a sign. It was the address of a tile factory in Tokyo. The three Weiß members went out to the factory as soon as night fell.

            They were determined to find Aya. Judging by the position of the view in the photo, they determined that the building in which the testing took place was an old, three-story fish factory.

            Ken was the first to go inside. The building was empty, absolutely nothing was inside. They continued upstairs, and to the third floor. It was pitch black inside. Ken, being the ever-impatient one, ran inside and tripped over something made of steel.

            Youji took out his cigarette lighter and flicked it on. Dust. Lots and lots of dust. And a metal stretcher-table with out its legs. Suddenly, Omi threw a dart into a dark corner, which was followed by a snort, and an "Ow…"-- two separate voices. A flash of silver and orange-gold, and the three Weiß members were facing Schuldig and Farfarfello.

            "You're getting good, bishonen," Schuldig smirked at Omi. "You've learned to react fast to your thoughts. I didn't pick it up fast enough." He chuckled, pulling a dart out of his arm.

            "I was aiming for your head," Omi glared.

            "I know," Schu smirked. "I never said I didn't pick it up."

            "This is all well and good," Ken interrupted, "But I for one would like to know _why­_ you two are here."

            "Oh, but kitten! You should know!"

            "What do you mean by that, _Shoe_?!"

            Schu ignored that. "We received a phone call from the high ups. He told us to come here to receive a job."

            Ken and Youji exchanged a look. "You… do remember what happened here?" Youji began.

            "Don't speak to us like teammates!" Farfarfello barked, suddenly covering the space between himself and Youji in an instant. He whipped out a blade, balancing it between his fingers. Youji gripped his wire, taking a step back. 

            "Of course we do, you idiot! Just because you're lost teammate saved me, doesn't mean—Wait. What did you just ask? How do you know what happened here?!"

            Ken swiped out the photographs, holding them up for Schuldig. He grabbed them away, swearing. "Who in the HELL took these?!" he demanded, totally forgetting how much he wanted to kill the three Weiß men.

            Ken looked away. "I think Abyssinian did. You know what happened to him, don't you?!" Ken snapped his head at Schulderich, unsheathing his claws.

            "Ken-kun!" Omi whispered harshly, putting his hand over Ken's, lowering it.

            "Tell us what happened here!" Ken yelled at the two Schwarz members. Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.

            "You wouldn't want to know, kid," Schuldig said, losing the joker face he so proudly wore. "Painful shit. Shit you should be praising God that you didn't have to go through."

            "So who is your employer this time?" Youji dared to ask.

            "We don't know," Schu smirked, happy to change subject. "At first Farf here thought that it was you, when you came in here."

            Farfarfello glared at Schu. "My impatience does not hurt God, Schu. I am wasting time."

            Schu rolled his eyes at the Irishman. "I'm a bit tired tonight. So you Weiß kids get off easy." Farf raised and eyebrow, and three looked at him with and incredulous look. 

            As Schuldig began to leave through a side door, a crash was heard from a floor down. "What the hell?" he exclaimed.

Forgetting their differences for a moment, Schwarz and Weiß ran down the stairs to the second floor to see a figure, swathed in black, break through a wall. What looked to be the wall, turned out to be a cover for a room on the inside. It must have been recently used, because a dull light was on inside the room.

            As the figure hacked away at the wood, its dark hair was swept back, revealing a feminine shaped jaw, and dark lipstick-covered lips. She spun around to see them, but all they could see was her mouth and chin; all else was shadowed in the dim light. In a moment of obvious panic, she dashed to the nearest not boarded-up window, and leapt out of it.

            Omi ran to the window, but it was too late. She had already escaped out of sight. The other four approached the secret room; a dull hanging lamp swung over an old card table, and a wall was lined with computers, all but one broken. It was still whirring; a sign it was still on. The occupants had obviously left the room in a hurry, and boarded it up hastily as well.

            Omi returned with no luck on identifying the unknown woman, or where she went. He sat down at the computer, with Ken and Youji leaning over him, and turned the monitor on. Schulderich leaned against the wall by the new door, and Farfarfello sat at the table, playing with a pocketknife.

            _I say we let them figure this out, since the kid is the only one who knows how to work with computers, and we don't have Nagi with us. _Schuldig telepathically spoke to Farfarfello.

            _Whatever, just don't do anything to anger Brad. I'd like to stay on Earth and hurt God awhile longer. _Farfarfello responded.

            _Was that just humor I heard? _Schu joked, and Farfarfello glared at him.

            Omi pulled up the only file on the computer. It was an outcome of a half-hearted effort to encrypt data. Through a brief hacking and translation, he came up with an address of a manor in northern Honshu, near Sendai. Copying it down, Omi went through the file further. He pulled up the last readable piece. He was waiting for it to finish, when Schu swore.

            "Scheiße!!" he cursed. "Farf! We have to leave!"

            Farfarfello gave him a bored look. "What?"

            "I can hear a REALLY angry thought, belonging to a person coming here. And from what I hear, they have a REALLY big gun. And I'm unarmed. Gottfluch es!" he began to leave, Farfarfello in tow.

            "Omi let's go!" Youji grabbed his shoulder.

            "Oh my God! Ken! Youji!" Omi gasped, oblivious to the warning.

            "Omi! Now!"

            "No! Look!"

            Omi pointed to the screen. One word, among garbled encoded words, stood out.

            Fujimiya.

            "It says that Aya was to be a test subject, but his arrival was delayed until March 19 of this year," Omi turned to Ken. "Six weeks ago."

            "Ken's eyes widened. "No…"

            "He's being held at this address," Omi held up the address he had copied down.

            Omi stood up, and began to move out of the room. Suddenly he stopped, and pulled out his cross bow. Using the largest, thickest arrow he had, he shot directly into the computer. "The person trying to get in here wanted the data, and was not on our side," Omi explained as they ran out to the windows. "They should not have that data."

            Weiß was going to get Aya back.

***

            _Aya, I found you, I know where you are! I'm coming for you! Wait for me, Aya; I love you!!_


	3. Midnight Snack

Title: Memory  
Author: Nijino Aya

Email: kakashuno @ yahoo.com [without spaces]  
Pairings: So far, Ken X Aya, Omi X Nagi implied. More to come.

Rating: PG – 13

Warnings: Series up to death of Schreient, Aya's real name

Chapter 2: Midnight Snack

            So that's what happened… He was going to be a test subject, with Schwarz, with Schreient. Why didn't he tell me?

Ken woke up in his bed, his old bed, in his old room. He no longer slept in Aya's room. He glanced at the clock. 4:00 am. Deciding that attempts at sleep were futile, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Rubbing his eyes and yawning, he quietly padded into the kitchen.

            Ken sat down at the kitchen table in the darkness. He let his eyes roam over the counter tops. A bowl of fruit, a coffee pot, cigarettes, and a sink. He looked over at the phone on the wall. It was duck taped together, still broken. Ken sighed, remembering how it broke.

            Ken and Aya had been kissing in the kitchen, when they were supposed to be doing dishes. Curiosity had gotten to the kittens. Omi and Youji crept along the wall and peeked around the wall, and peeked around the corner. Unfortunately, Youji was practically on top of Omi's back, and when Aya spotted the two, Youji attempted to run. This caused the two to stumble forward, into Aya and Ken, and slam into the wall, on the phone.

            It cracked, and has been duck-taped together since. Ken lowered his head onto his forearms. _It was hilarious then. At any other time, the memory would make me laugh. But now…I…_

Ken began to cry on his arms. The quiet weeping turned into sobs, and then turned into anger. _Why?! Why, Aya?! Why didn't you tell me?! We could have protected you!! _Ken began to calm down.

            "No," He thought out loud. "We wouldn't have been able to protect you."

            He got up and leaned his head against the wall. "We are so weak…Heh…Its funny. We know where you are but we haven't gone to get you for three days." Ken sighed at his own rash thoughts.

            _Who you talkin' to? _Ken spun around. "Who's there?!"

            He ran down to the flower shop. Through a shaded window, he saw a person's shadow in the pre-dawn light. The figure moved to tap on the window. _Let me in, Kenken._

Ken realized it was Schuldig. He opened the door a crack, surprised that he did such a stupid act. He didn't know when he had become so trusting of the Schwarz member. Schu pushed the door open a bit farther, and Ken moved out of the way to let him come in. He paused, the rational side of him pondering if the reason he is being so reckless, not caring anymore, and such was because he felt so hopeless over the situation. Schuldig ignored the thought from Ken.

            "What do you want?" Ken frowned.

            "Well, I don't blame you for being a bit apprehensive, but you don't have to be so rude to guests," Schu sarcastically remarked. "I've come to ask you a question."

            Ken raised an eyebrow. Schu smirked. "Well, won't you be a good host?" he paused, examining Ken's attire- a pair of soccer-print boxers and socks, "Or at least a better host?"

            Ken flushed red, and gestured to chairs at a table. Schu smugly sat down, crossing his legs, in a very comfortable manner. "So begin already," Ken spoke.

            "Tsk tsk, Kenken…" Schu smiled. "Such impatience!"

            Ken glared at him, and couldn't keep his eyes off Schuldig's red hair. _Red hair…_

"You remember what happened six weeks ago, ja?" he asked.

            Ken's expression darkened with shadows as he sagged slightly. Schu continued. "You don't remember what happened after I was brought out of that room, do you?"

            "Just that Aya collapsed under that…force," Ken said softly. "And those ghostly hands…"

            Schulderich sighed. "It is a kind of psychic attack; acts like a trap," the German informed him. "It wasn't activated until Prodigy and your little kitten entered the room."

            Ken rubbed his eyes. He wouldn't cry in front of the redhead. He wasn't going to show how torn up his heart was just remembering that night. He was aware of Schuldig's ability to take those emotions and fuck with them. Though it was strange how…out of character the German was being. He must have been up to something. 

            "Lately, Prodigy has been…different," Schulderich turned his head to look out the window.

            Ken looked up. "What do you mean, different?"

            "He acts a lot like…well…a lot like a statue," Schu explained. "For example, usually, if I smoke near him, he'll put the cigarette out with his telekinesis. But now, he just sits there, staring off into deep space, unaware of everything around him."

            Ken felt his heart grow warm at the sight of such a usually cruel man being so sad and worried. Perhaps he wasn't so evil, perhaps he had a heart. "What does this have to do with me?" Ken questioned.

            Schu, hearing Ken's sentimental thoughts about him, and hoping to put his usual façade back up again, rolled his eyes, looking pissed. "This began that night, when he went into that room. Bradley and I want to know if your kitten has been like that as well." Ken made a mental note that at first Schu referred to Crawford and Nagi by their codenames, but had just called Oracle by his real name. "When I saw him the other night at the warehouse with you and Balinese, he acted fine, but you never know when a person is on a mission. I'm assuming it has to do something with Nagi's psychic abilities…and your team's lack of. However, I don't seem to be affected. I credit that to the fact that I had a barrier, and Nagi had no protecting from…that."

            Ken blinked, absorbing in all he had heard. Omi was fine, a bit sad for the usually genki teen, but fine otherwise.

            _I see._

"Get out of my head, Schu," Ken glared.

            "Ken-kun, who are you—Ah! Schuldig!"

            Ken and Schuldig turned around to see Omi, clad in pajama pants and a long-sleeved shirt, standing in the doorway. "Ah, speak of the devil. We were just talking about you," Schu laughed.

            _Nagi is still alive, kitten. Don't worry._

Omi's eyes widened.

            _Don't think I didn't know about your little liaison, Omittichi. _Schu smirked.

_            You wouldn't tell— _Omi's heart began to race.

            _Your secret is safe with me, kitten. _Schu turned to Ken. "I will leave now, I have what I need. Thanks, Kenken."

            Schu left, quietly closing the door. Omi grabbed Ken's arm. "What the hell was that all about?!"

            Ken told Omi about what they talked about, and how it seems that Nagi's has not been acting the same since he went into that room. Even though Omi had no such powers, Ken was deeply worried that Omi would be further affected but the psychic presence in that room. 

            Omi glanced at the clock. It was 5:30 in the morning already. "We're leaving at 8 tomorrow morning, Ken," Omi said quietly to the older boy.

            Ken collapsed back into the chair he was sitting in previously. "I just don't know what to do…. What are we going to do once we get to where Aya is? We don't even know what kind of place it is, what kind of security is there, if Aya is alive or dead, if he'll even remember us…" Ken would have finished his shaken ramblings, but Omi put one arm around him, and a finger on his lips, silencing him.

            "Shhh…" Omi comforted him.

            Omi led Ken into his room, tucking him in. "I'll be next door in my room, if you need me," he told Ken.

            "Omi?" Ken asked in a shaky, quavering voice.

            "Yes?"

            "Please don't leave me," he pleaded.

            Omi sat down on the side of Ken's bed. He could see tears coming down from the brunette's eyes. Omi ran his fingers of one hand through the older boy's hair. He lifted his feet off the wood floor, and slipped under the covers. He pulled the comforter over himself and Ken. Ken snuggled closer to Omi, wanted to be closer to another person, any person. Omi wrapped his arms around the older boy, letting Ken's head lie on the side of his shoulder. He held Ken as he cried.

            "It will be ok, Ken, it will all be ok…"

            _But the thing is, Ken, that it won't be ok. I have a bad feeling about all of this. But I **do** want the best for you, and I hope we can bring Aya, the way he used to be, back to you._

End Chapter 2.


	4. Traveling Love

Title: Memory  
Author: Nijino Aya

Email: kakashuno @ yahoo.com [without spaces]  
Pairings: So far, Ken X Aya, Omi X Nagi implied. More to come.

Rating: PG – 13

Warnings: Series up to death of Schreient, Aya's real name

Chapter 3: Traveling Love

            Ken stared out of the plexi-glass window as the greenery and housing developments whizzed by at Ken's brain's idea of light speed. He sighed and turned back to Youji who was eating frantically from the bento lunch he had carried with him.

            "Who's smart idea was it to prohibit cigarette smoking on bullet trains?!" he complained, substituting the nicotine with rice. He came to the conclusion that he'd get fat if he ever quit smoking.

            To Ken, Omi looked dejected. He now seemed more sad and depressed than he had ever been since Ken knew him. _I wonder why? He's only gotten worse, where even he said I have gotten better, now that I know that Aya is alive. _Ken remembered his un-missed bags under his eyes. A thought that cheered himself up a bit came to him. _If I didn't know better, I'd say he looked lovesick. Is he? Who in the world would he be dating?_

Ken rubbed Omi's shoulder. The latter practically jumped from the surprise of sudden contact. He relaxed, his eyes at half-mass. Ken wrapped an arm around Omi's shoulders and pulled him to lean on his shoulder. Omi looked up and peered at Ken, giving him a thankful smile, the favor being returned from the previous night. Ken wanted to ask what was wrong, but from the way Omi leaned into him, like the whole world's problems could be solved by resting on a best friend's shoulder, he decided to leave it be. Omi drifted to sleep. _I guess he never went back to sleep last night._

Youji glanced up from his distraction against nicotine and peered at the two younger boys. _Heh…just rub it in my face, won't you. I know I have no relation ship with anyone. Stupid Ken. He's practically cheating on Aya. Doesn't Omi see me? Doesn't he see that I love him? But Omi, little one, I know that you are seeing someone. But who is it? And why haven't we met her? _Youji smiled. _Or him?_

Ken blinked. _Why the hell does Youji look so lustful?! _He rolled his eyes and shut them. _What will happen if—when we get Aya back? Will everything go back to normal?_

Soon, Ken found himself drifting off to La-La land, dreaming nightmares of Aya.

***

Ken woke with a start, as the train halted to a stop. The three got off the train and went to the rental car station. Obtaining a map, a too-cramped lemon car, and Youji's cigarettes, they set off out of town to the manor. The drive was two hours long. Omi slept, Youji drove, and Ken pondered the previous night's discussion with Schuldig. _Something must have been seriously wrong with that whacko, for him to act so…un-Schuldig-like. No mind-screws, no cocky words, nothing. Could it be because of that Nagi kid? I would have never assumed that Schwarz had emotions._

Youji looked over from the drivers seat to Ken. "Thinking about something, Kenken?" he asked.

Ken looked over to Youji. He and Omi did not tell Youji about the night's encounter. "Nothing more than the usual."

Youji decided now was the best time to bring it up. "Have you noticed how Omi's…changed?"

Ken looked over at Youji, surprised that it wasn't just himself noticing these things. "Yes! I have…He looks—"

"Lovesick," Youji finished for him. They smiled at each other. "Who do you think it is?"

"Not sure," Ken stared out the window again. "But isn't it strange, that his moods change with everything happening even more than you'd think?"

"Maybe his troubles are somehow related to all this?" Youji asked.

***

The manor was two miles outside a small town called Shokon. Youji suggested they park the car in the town, and to walk the rest of the way. Early evening was approaching, and the sun was slowly creeping under the horizon. The orange light cast itself across the three men as they crouched against the southeast corner of the white stone brick wall that bordered the western style estate. 

"As evening falls," Youji explained, "I will scale the wall there-" He pointed to a place where a tree's branch reached close to the wall. He pointed to where the security cameras were. They were to avoid the places where the cameras would see them. He found amusement in the shabby job that whoever had put up the cameras did.

He had done some research with Omi earlier, and discovered that the mansion was owned by an elderly wealthy businessman, and was obviously being used by whoever took Aya away from them. A professional certainly didn't put up the cameras, or there would have been more preciseness. 

After Omi and Ken had chosen places to cross over the wall, they split up, using ropes to hook over the spiked railing on the top of the wall. Youji hoisted himself over the railing and into the tree branches. He waved to Ken and Omi, and motioned for them that it was safe to jump the wall. Ken threw his rope over a spike, pulled himself up, and stepped over the spike. He jumped down onto the grassy lawn and—

Bright light flooded the yard, exposing them, and revealing security guards with assault weapons pointed.

"You underestimate us." A voice said. Ken turned his head slowly to see what appeared to be the shadowed silhouette of a woman, appearing to be of some importance. The bright lights behind her shadowed enough of her front so he couldn't see her face, but he could make out the edges of dark red hair, falling a little past her shoulders. She wore a black garment that came down to her knees, and dark pants. 

The solders that over took them covered their mouths with a cloth dampened with ether. _Well, at least we're inside_, was Youji's sarcastic last conscious thought to himself.

***

_Ugh… _Ken woke with a pounding headache. His eyes were heavy and he strained to open them. He squinted, trying to see through his blurry vision. He couldn't move, but that was attributed to the fact that he was tied up, and lying on his side on what felt like the floor. _Figures…Where am I? Where are the others?_

The first thing he could clearly see was a pair of legs, sitting in a chair. "Awake?" the legs spoke. It was that familiar woman voice, from earlier in the yard.

"Where am I?" Ken asked, not wanting to look up to see her quite yet.

"In a temporary holding cell." Her voice was deep, firm, and professional.

"Where are my teammates?"

"In their own cells. You've been out longer than they have, about five hours."

"Have I been drugged?"

"Only with barbiturates—sleep inducing drugs. You will not be affected otherwise."

Ken tried to roll over and sit up, but groaned as his body ached all over. He wanted to see is inquisitor. "I know why you're here." She said.

"You know we are looking for…" he trailed off. 

"Hidaka-san, who you are looking for is here, in this place, but cannot be found, for he no longer exists."

He was speechless. The paradox was profound. Here, but not here. He needed to see his inquisitor. He rolled onto his back, fighting the aches and pains that hit him. He leaned his upper body off the ground, and focused his eyes on the woman in the chair. It was the most shocking sight to ever hit him.

The woman had red hair only a few shades darker, framing the pale skin of her face, and her harsh and angry, but beautiful violet-purple eyes stared at him through wire-rimmed glasses. It was…it was…

It was Aya.

"AYA?!"

--

To be continued.


End file.
